Love Minus Zero
by Hejin57
Summary: A dancer and a ninja knew each other long ago in a wild heaven.  Now they are strangers in a very real world.  Among the company of old friends, they will soon experience trials of love.  Still...how many secrets were left behind in wild heaven?
1. Track 01

**Hello, willing reader! Hejin has finally decided to do some writing again, after a couple of months of no writing at all.**

**Now...you might recognize me from my Haruhi fanfics. If you don't, that's fine. If you do, rest assured that I have not given up on those stories. I just have a lack of inspiration for them at the moment. When the spark comes, I will continue them.**

**First off...I see no TK stories in this section. That is a problem to me. **

**This story, however, is the product of dissatisfaction. Believe me when I say I truly enjoyed Angel Beats. I just didn't think it was long enough. So naturally, fanfiction is the way to go when you're looking for a way to extend an anime series. And so here I am.**

**This story, like many of mine, is a romance-based one, focusing mainly on two characters that needed a little more love in the anime. TK and Shiina were both awesome in my opinion, and since the anime didn't fully flesh them out, I figured I could take some creative liberty and give it a shot. This story takes place after the events of the last episode, and assumes that TK, Shiina and the rest of them went on living in the real world again. I don't exactly know how long this story will be, but expect it to delve into some of our lesser-talked about characters as well as some other possible romance. But I'm warning you now; main characters of Angel Beats won't get much screen time here.**

**And so begins another story! A special note to you all; most of TK's lines will be taken out of song lyrics, in accordance with his character. The title of this story is also the title of a Bob Dylan song as well. If you recognize some of the song titles or all of them, that's good for you. You are musically attuned! :)**

**Enjoy my newest story, true believers! :D**

**_T.K_  
**

_Hejin57 presents..._

**LOVE MINUS ZERO**

**_T.K_  
**

Some people have trouble letting out their internal thoughts. They can't just speak what's on their mind, or state something just for the fun of it. Those people prefer to keep their internal monologue to themselves, rather than letting the rest of the world listen in.

"Billie Jean is not my lover...she's just a girl who knows that I am the one! But the kid is not my son!"

TK is not one of those people.

Content living in his own little world, this bandana-wearing, blonde-haired teenager just continued reciting the lyrics to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" as he made his way towards the educational prison he called high school. He was alone this calm Wendsday morning, with nothing but the song lyrics coming out of his mouth to accompany him.

And that was just the way TK liked it. Even though he disliked school, he was still ready for another day of it, and to TK, that meant fidgeting in his seat and being restless until he could escape to basketball club. His reward for surviving the boredom of Japanese high school, basketball club was exactly the kind of place where TK could get loose and scramble. It was where his trusted friends awaited him, and it definitely beat the boring place he called home.

TK's impatience only grew as he turned a corner, his backpack bouncing over his right shoulder. He wanted to get to school badly, and singing song lyrics could only distract him for so long. TK's handcuff necklace rattled as he walked faster. The quicker he got past school hours, the faster he could get to palming the orange ball he loved so dearly.

But even still...he felt like he could let loose a little bit more. Twirling around on the sidewalk, TK grinned to himself as put his hand to his forehead. Across the street, the owner of the local book store shook his head as he caught a glimpse of TK's dancing.

"My love...she speaks like silence..." TK whispered as he moon walked backwards. He got only about two or three feet back before the presence of another person caused him to abruptly stop. He could feel his elbow hit something soft and silky, and the person behind him grunted in annoyance before roughly pushing him away.

"What are you doing?" a voice said in a cold tone, and TK just spun around and faced the speaker.

"Dancing in the shadow." he proceeded to say to the black-haired girl in front of him, his right hand formed into a finger gun. The girl in question just narrowed her copper eyes at TK. She was a little shorter than him, and besides the stern look she was wearing, her most distinguishable feature was the long black scarf covering the bottom of her face and her neck. She wore the standard seifuku for TK's high school, but her skirt looked like it had been cut into on each side. The girl crossed her arms as she continued to stare TK down.

"Hmph...how shallow-minded. The metaphorical shadow you speak of doesn't exist. You should find something else to waste time on." she answered in a frigid tone. TK took another good look at her, before putting his finger on his chin and smiling just a little bit. "My dreams are beyond control. Get a little chance and luck."

"You sound like a fool."

"You're my love foolosophy."

TK grinned wide as he pointed both hands as finger guns towards the girl. By this point in time, he figured he might as well have some fun with her if she was going to be mean to him.

The girl began to process his response, and looked ready to answer it with another remark. However, she realized what TK was saying, and all she could do was stand there as her cheeks began to turn red. She shook off embarrassment quickly however, putting a serious look back on her face before coldly pushing past TK. Before the bandanna-wearing teen knew it, she was already walking fast ahead of him, but it was obvious he had won this first round with her.

"It's TK! The answer is blowin' in the wind!" he shouted as he waved to the girl. He couldn't see it, but the girl's cheeks were still red, and she took refuge in her scarf in fear that someone might see her blushing madly like this.

TK just smiled to himself in satisfaction. Maybe there were other things to look forward to besides basketball club.

_**T.K**_

"Watch your left flank, Ooyama! He's coming up fast!" Fujimaki exclaimed as he watched TK charge up the court, dribbling the ball furiously in his right hand. His teammate, Ooyama, looked like he was cracking at the mere sight of TK, and an expression of dread was already showing on Ooyama's face.

Fujimaki gritted his teeth as he ran towards the right side of the court, hoping to cut TK off. The blond-haired teen was fast though, and soon enough, he had already slipped past a frightened Ooyama and was now gunning straight towards the net. Fujimaki didn't have a moment to lose, and he put himself between TK and the net, hands outstretched in an attempt to steal the ball.

He grinned as the ball seemed just within stealing range. TK's eyes glinted underneath his bandanna. He had already seen this coming.

"Easy come, easy go!" he announced as he spun around Fujimaki, completely bypassing him and causing the boy to fall over onto the gym floor. TK's legs now pumped faster, and with the net in sight, he jumped upwards and slammed the basketball downwards as hard as he could.

Landing on the floor with a loud thump, TK gave a thumbs up as the ball bounced right past him, "Got canned heat in my heels tonight, baby!"

Fujimaki looked to his side as he sat up, only to spot the basketball rolling along. He couldn't help but sigh as he picked it up and put it under his arm. Losing in basketball to TK...this was nothing new. It only annoyed him a little bit that two-on-one he still couldn't be beaten, and Ooyama seemed to prove useless time and time again.

"Well...you're right on the heels part...but this guy can't play to save his life! Man up a little and block him, why don't you?" Fujimaki told Ooyama, who just seemed to shake in fear.

"I didn't mean to panic! He's so fast! What did you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to win!"

"Alright, alright calm down. I didn't stay here late so I could watch you two argue." Matsushita, known around the school as Matsushita 5th Dan, interjected as he stepped down from the bleachers.

It was after school hours now, and after four o'clock, the gym was solely reserved for usage by the basketball club. The basketball club, formed by TK, was made up of only five members. Besides TK, they included Fujimaki, Ooyama, Matsushita, and a boy named Takeyama, who was always busy on the bleachers with his laptop. He hated being called Takeyama, and insisted that everyone in the club call him "Christ". They seldom did so, however. Matsushita was only in the club as a favor to TK, since the club would have failed approval if it didn't have at least five members. In reality, Matsushita was always busy with Judo club, though he would come to watch them play when had the time.

In short, these five were TK's only friends. They were the only ones he hung out with after school, and they were the only people that understood him and his mannerisms the most. They were also the ones who lost to him in basketball on a daily basis. None of them liked it much, especially Fujimaki, who would rather blame Ooyama constantly than admit his own shortcomings.

"It's cool. Give peace a chance." TK remarked as he put both arms around Fujimaki and Ooyama in a friendly manner. Fujimaki seemed to shrug him away, his face still clearly annoyed over TK's usual basketball victory.

"Peace is irrelevant." Takeyama said from one of the low bleachers, his fingers moving like lightning across his laptop keyboard. Matsushita merely sighed in response to Takeyama's comment. He really should have been training more right now, but something about TK and his basketball games always seemed to take Matsushita away from his training.

"Whatever. TK wins, we lose. Tomorrow, we do it all over again." Fujimaki said in a somewhat defeated voice. He knew being pissed off about something like this would be useless at this point. It's not like he didn't have enough people in this school who were afraid of him. Nevertheless, he wished that he could beat TK one of these days, with or without Ooyama's help.

"Hey...look over there." Ooyama stated as he pointed up towards the bleachers. The rest of the basketball club, save for Takeyama, looked up to see a lonely girl standing on one of the bleachers. She was looking down towards TK and the others, clearly watching them. Amazingly, she seemed to be perfectly balancing a pair of scissors on one finger. She looked like she was almost contemplating about something.

"Yo! Get chance and luck!" TK shouted towards the familiar girl on the bleachers, hoping to get a response. Instead, she just twirled the scissors in her hand, stepped down from the bleachers, and disappeared into one of the gym exits. TK just scratched his head and pointed a finger gun in the air, feeling a little surprised. Fujimaki was beginning to smile however, realizing exactly who that girl was solely by recognizing the black scarf she wore.

"Now that's something...I didn't know you were friends with Shiina, TK. I didn't even know she had friends."

"I remember trying to talk to her once...she just called me "shallow-minded"." Ooyama commented, earning a nod from Fujimaki. "She says that to everyone. Don't think you're anything special because of it."

"She's just shy. I could get her dancing in the shadow." TK interjected, this time making a little more sense than usual. Takeyama seemed to be ignoring the whole situation, while Matsushita remained silent. He never felt comfortable on the topic of women.

"That's a stretch even for you. I would like to see her even listen to your confession without calling you shallow-minded. It's obvious the girl is damn good looking, but people telling her that just pisses her off. It's a lost cause." Fujimaki answered in an indignant tone of voice, clearly confident that even TK would lose to someone like Shiina.

"Cast your dancing spell my way. We'll see what goes over and under with this. Let's go!" TK exclaimed with a big grin, but Fujimaki just shook his head. "I don't know if there's much chance and luck with this girl, TK. Just don't come dancing towards me when she rejects you."

_**T.K**_

He was skilled, but he sounded like a fool.

That's all Shiina wanted to hear in her head. Unfortunately, that wasn't just what she was hearing. The fact that she couldn't help but think about this strange guy as she walked home only proceeded to make Shiina more annoyed than she already was.

Why did he have to bump into her? She was content with being left alone. The less people interacted with her, the more time she had to focus her mind and increase her skills. But this guy...this guy was practically made of interaction. He was like her anti-thesis.

And he was so _shallow-minded_.

Yet she could not stop thinking about him. That bandanna, that blonde hair, his smile, those ridiculous sayings; they all seemed to mock Shiina. They screamed to her in her head that he was undoubtedly cute.

But he was still a fool. She could not let herself think any different than that. Whatever she did, she had to make sure those words didn't get to her. She could not let herself fall for...

"_You're my love foolosophy._"

Shiina's heart beat even faster at the mere thought of TK's words. The blush resurfaced on her face. It was at this time that Shiina realized this guy would take all her training to overcome.


	2. Track 02

**Ah! The good 'ol days of fast updating! I remember those thrills now! And the proof is here! This story reaches its next chapter! Read, review and enjoy!**

**_T.K_  
**

Shiina could not help but feel especially cautious this morning. During this morning commute, she found herself constantly scanning her route for anything unusual. In fact, it was almost as if she was purposely looking for something to target and call out as out-of-the-ordinary.

But for as much as Shiina searched for it, there seemed to be nothing of the sort. She made a venomous expression before spinning around quickly, as if expecting someone to be waiting behind her. Her copper eyes narrowed and looked for any sign of disturbance. There was still nothing behind her, and even as she allowed herself to relax, she knew nothing would appear no matter how much she wished for it.

What was she doing? Shiina had always been cautious, but this was getting ridiculous. She should just be focusing on getting through today without thinking about that bandana-wearing fool. She could have sworn that all the mediating she had done last night would have cleansed all thoughts of TK from her mind.

But here she was again; turning around and looking for him. Shiina felt like punching herself for being so shallow-minded. How could she waste so much time thinking of a fool's good looks, when she should be focusing on her training? How could she truly master her ninja skills...if she had thoughts of this fool in her way?

Shiina lost her cool at about this moment, and kicked the air in anger. To her surprise, her foot hit something that had been laying on the ground. The object bounced a few feet back, and its bright yellow color almost immediately caught her eye.

She picked it up with sudden curiosity. Just feeling its furry texture began to bring a small smile on her face.

It was a cat doll, and it was smiling. Shiina could feel her heart melting at the sight of this cute creature, and she couldn't resist giving it a warm hug. If she was to have one true weakness, it would be to cute things, especially in the case of stuffed animals. For all her training and mental focus, she could not stop herself from loving this little feline toy.

Feeling satisfied, Shiina released the doll for a moment. Something was different however. The smile on her face began to fade as she spotted something familiar on the doll's face...

The doll had a red bandana now covering its eyes. The smile on its face was now a mischievous grin. It had suddenly acquired a small handcuff necklace. As Shiina's eyes widened in surprise, the cat doll's mouth opened in an effort to speak.

"Get chance and luck!" The cat doll exclaimed, but Shiina wouldn't listen. With fury written all over her face, she closed her eyes and threw the cat doll as far as she could. Her heart now pounding, she screamed in rage...

"SO SHALLOW-MINDED!"

There was a long moment of silence. Then, Shiina opened her eyes again. There was no cat. There was also no sidewalk or road.

Instead, Shiina found herself staring ahead, and she instantly spotted the shimmer of her grandfather's prized kunai sparkling in the darkness of her room. It looked as if the kunai had been thrown with pinpoint accuracy, and it had embedded itself right into the wall. Shiina looked down, only to see that her covers had been thoroughly disturbed. Judging from the fact that _no one_ was ever in this room besides her, she assumed automatically that the one who threw the kunai was none other than herself in her sleep.

Shiina sighed to herself as she got out of bed. Thankfully, her grandfather's kunai had been crafted to perfection, and she doubted even the strongest hammer or the hottest fire could damage its structure. Pulling it out of her wall, she ignored the addition of another hole. It was just one more on top of the twenty other holes randomly strewn across the wall. This kind of thing happened in Shiina's sleep often.

Sitting down on her bed, Shiina put part of her Hamtaro covers over her legs, and hung her head down, wondering just why she was going through all this insanity. Surely, she could control herself. It wasn't like she hadn't engineered herself into a ninja by now. It was an arrogant thought, but Shiina was sure she could go out and become a mercenary already. The Japanese government must be looking for someone with her skills.

Another thought of TK came up in her head. This time, she managed to push it away.

"No. I will not fall. I am not shallow-minded." she said to herself, sitting up straight, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. She had to focus and filter her mind of all thoughts of TK. She could not, no, she would not let him have this hold over her.

He was dumb. He was foolish. He was ridiculous. He was crazed. And most of all; he was so shallow-minded.

But he was still cute.

Shiina cursed under her breath when she caught her own thought. She just wished for the peaceful silence of dreamless sleep. The less she thought about this fool, the better.

_**T.K**_

"...if you ask me, Hisako is the most arrogant girl in this school. So what if she can beat just about everyone in Mahjong? So what if she plays guitar so well? I'd like to see her take on entire gangs by herself...like I have!" Fujimaki complained to a lounging TK, before proceeding to take a big bite out of one of the fried shrimp in his lunch. TK laughed loudly in response to Fujimaki's remark, before responding with, "The highway is for gamblers. Better use your sense instead of losing all your cash."

"Don't you just lose to her in Mahjong all the time?" Ooyama commented with an innocent look on his plain face. Matsushita was busy gulping down his mother's homemade gyūdon. It might have been a little cold, but it was like heaven in his mouth. Besides judo club, lunch was probably Matsushita's other favorite time of the day.

Fujimaki nearly choked on his fried shrimp upon hearing Ooyama's comment. Matushita just looked at him from across his desk with a confused expression.

"Hey! I didn't lose to her more than...forty-six times! Keep your mouth shut about all that! I'm not giving that girl more of the credit she doesn't deserve!" Fujimaki shot back at Ooyama, but he came across as a little flustered. Matushita smiled a little bit to himself. He might not have been good with women, but he was already beginning to figure out why Fujimaki had complained so much about Hisako all this past year.

"I'm not blind, Matsushita 5th Dan! Wipe that damn smirk of your face and get those thoughts out of your head!"

"Calm down already. You know I'm not good with that kind of stuff. Girls are a mystery to me." the Judo expert replied, crossing his arms and putting on a stoic expression.

TK couldn't help but grin in response to this. This was too good of an opportunity.

"Really? Someone's eye has been on the shadow of Iwasawa's audio dreams."

Matsushita's gasped in shock almost immediately, and Fujimaki grinned devilishly as he saw the judo expert's face turn bright red.

"Asami Iwasawa? You gotta be kidding me! There's no way in hell you're in love with the most popular girl in school, as well as the founder of the light music club! Whatever happened to "Girls are just in the way of training and gyūdon!" ?" the fight-holic asked in an imitation of Matsushita's voice, leaving the judo expert to stumble over his words.

"Well...I'm just...uh...she's pretty talented...and all..."

Fujimaki just sneered and shook his head in disapproval, "Whatever...it's just sad to know that even the great Matsushita 5th Dan has fallen to temptress of the guitar. It just goes to show that even masters of the martial arts can be ensnared in the terrible grip of the female species! But not me. I'm not going to be reduced to a fool by some girl."

"You're lost in the rain in Juarez." TK commented, and a about a couple seconds later, another voice followed.

"I don't really know what that means, but he's probably right if it's about you, Fujimaki-kun."

Fujimaki had already guessed that Hisako would be wearing another one of her annoying smiles when he turned around in his chair to face her. He raised an eyebrow in annoyance, "And what exactly gives you the damn right to call me that?"

Hisako seemed to giggle in response to Fujimaki's question, and she shook her head back and forth as if feeling sorry for him, "You're just real easy to mess with, is all. And you can't play Mahjong very well either. Maybe you'd have a girlfriend already if you stopped being so hard-headed."

Fujimaki was just beginning to blush before he gritted his teeth and turned away from Hisako. TK made a random finger gun towards the ceiling while Matushita and Ooyama remained oddly quiet. Hisako just laughed to herself before patting Fujimaki on the head.

"But don't worry about it, Fujimaki-kun. I'm sure you'll catch some girl's eye eventually. Anyway, you know where to find me when you're ready to lose again." And with that, Hisako left the classroom, apparently to go take care of something for the music club. Fujimaki was left staring ahead, looking pretty pissed off.

"Don't any of you say a damn thing..."

TK snapped his fingers, "It don't matter if you're black or white!"

_**T.K**_

TK never truly liked being alone, even when he was distracting himself with dancing. He enjoyed the company of others mostly because it provided him with people who would listen. At home, TK's father was never around, and he had no siblings to spend time with either. So, he had been talking with himself for as long as he could remember, and he spent a majority of his time listening to music and learning dance steps. Why he had such an urge to speak in song lyrics...he never truly knew. It was just an inseparable part of who he was.

TK took his shot, and not to his surprise, he easily made a three-pointer. The basketball bounced a few times before rolling in his direction. Palming the entire thing in his hands, TK was a little saddened that he was the only one left playing today.

Ooyama had family matters to take care of, Matsushita was going home early for some sort of judo retreat with his older brother, and Fujimaki had some "business" to handle downtown. Takeyama had just disappeared for the day, but TK knew this was common for that boy. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it always seemed to be an attempt to make himself sound smarter than everyone else.

And so, TK was left by his lonesome, wondering how long he would spend making shots until he got bored. He figured maybe he could take some shots, practice his dancing a little bit, and then take some more. Dribbling the ball around him, his mind began to wander.

Thoughts of Shiina surfaced in TK's mind. He could instantaneously remember the words she had said to him yesterday.

"_You sound like a fool._"

Readying for another shot, TK wondered about Shiina. From what he had heard around the girl, she was supposedly quiet and very cold to just about everyone. She had no real friends, and most girls were actually a little afraid of her. Nevertheless, she was pretty good-looking in the opinion of the male student body, and her grades were very high despite the fact that she never seemed to pay attention in class.

TK might not have been the smartest guy on the block, but he knew there was something more to Shiina. He could tell she was hiding a part of her persona from everyone else. And with a grin plastered on his face, TK figured it should be his job to find out exactly what Shiina was keeping locked away. Fujimaki might think Shiina was a lost cause, but TK definitely did not.

He made another shot from half-court, and landed it perfectly.

"You'll be messing with my mind..." he said to himself, picking up the basketball and proceeding to try and spin it on his finger. Unfortunately, TK failed miserably at spinning it, and the ball just slipped from the top of his finger before bouncing on the ground a couple of times. It rolled along a little bit, until it was stopped by the shoes of someone standing right ahead of TK.

"What a blunder. Do you really expect yourself to master spinning like that?" Shiina asked TK in a condescending voice, leaving the bandana-wearing teen a little surprised by her presence. Sighing in annoyance, Shiina picked up the basketball and began to skillfully spin it on one slender finger.

TK could only watch in awe as Shiina threw the basketball up in the air, and then proceeded to catch it with another finger. It spun like a rapidly rotating planet, and her poise was perfect. She had a blank look on her face as she continued to spin the ball, until eventually she palmed in her hand and bounced it once on the ground before letting it fall to the floor. The ball rolled back to an awestruck TK, who almost didn't know what to say.

"C-Crazy baby! Shine live and max out!" TK exclaimed in excitement. He had never thought he would ever see someone spin a basketball so perfectly. He certainly had no idea that when he finally did that this girl would be that person. Shiina didn't even shrug in response to TK's statement, and just gave him a seemingly uncaring look.

However, while she didn't totally understand what he just said to her, it was obvious by the growing red on her cheeks that she knew it was a compliment. TK's expression became sly as he too spotted her embarrassment. Shiina composed herself quickly however, and turned away from TK, with all intent of leaving the gym now.

As she walked back towards the exit, TK watched her silently as he listened to her shoes make each step across the polished floor. Of course, with her back facing him, he couldn't see the expression on her face, but he guessed that she probably was trying to pretend he didn't exist.

This was TK's one and only chance. He waved uselessly as he exclaimed, "Yo! Don't stop dancing! Friday dancing is the best kind! Are you into that disco, or am I just a lonely ranger?"

It took Shiina a few seconds to actually stop. At first, she figured that TK had just said something non-nonsensical to her and that she should make nothing of it and get out of this school already. However, as she began to actually process what he was saying, she realized that even though it wasn't exactly clear, TK had asked her something that _no one_ had _ever_ asked her before.

She contemplated what she was going to say for a few moments. Standing some feet away from TK, Shiina's mind seemed to be at war with itself. Two answers rocked back and forth in her thoughts, but for some reason, both of them felt equally terrible. Finally, Shiina gathered up all her inner strength, and brought her mind back to this plane of existence so as to deliver her answer to TK.

"How shallow-minded. Friday night is reserved for my most intense mediation. I have no time for pleasure seeking on that day." she answered him in a calm voice. With those words, Shiina stood tall and proud, and then proceeded to make her way through the gym exit.

And so, TK was left standing alone and a little speechless at first. He didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered. However, the bandana-wearing teenager picked the basketball off the floor with a smile, and then pointed his free hand as a finger gun in the direction Shiina had left.

"Pow! I gotcha!"

_**T.K**_

That was too close. Way, way too close.

Shiina could feel her breathing quickening as she stood outside of the school. It was surprisingly chilly tonight, and she buried her blushing face a little deeper into her scarf.

She had almost lost herself back there. Shiina knew she could never let such a thing happen. Doing so would jeopardize all she had worked towards. Her image, reputation and future would forever be destroyed if she had let herself fall into the web of temptation.

Shiina could not even begin to believe that she had nearly agreed to go on a date with TK. Now Shiina knew for sure that this fool was a greater enemy to her than she could have ever imagined...


	3. Track 03

**And now comes another chapter of my newest underdog story; Love Minus Zero! Enjoy, and remember to review! :D**

**_T.K_  
**

Matsushita had never dreamed of the day where he would be doing something like this.

The judo expert's heart was beating faster than ever. He stared ahead with a serious expression, despite the fact that he felt like he was literally going to collapse on the inside. His hands balled up tightly into fists, Matsushita wondered if he was really going to go through with this. Then, his face slackened. He sighed to himself as his once rigid pose became relaxed.

He had almost opened the door to the light music club in front of him. He had almost walked in, faced Asami Iwasawa, and asked her to go out with him on a date.

Of course, the catch in all this was the word "almost". Like the last eleven times, Matushita had failed to enter this door, and thereby fail to even speak to Iwasawa at all. All he ever got to was the door, where he would stand in defeat before he would hear them start their afternoon practice.

The judo expert felt like a failure. How could he allow himself to fail once again, and in the same manner? He had no limits when it came to judo. He always broke his own records, and he never gave up when it came to his art. If he could fail at something as simple as asking a girl out on a date, then did that mean all the times he went with his brother for secluded mountain training would just measure up to nothing?

"Girls are such a crutch..." Matushita said to himself under his breath. He figured he'd been standing here long enough. The sound of an opening guitar part was pretty much telling him to leave.

"Get chance and luck!" TK exclaimed from Matushita's left side, having seemingly appeared out of thin air. "What's training without heartache? The idiotic, the exotic!"

TK's words, despite making little sense, couldn't but make the judo expert smile a little bit. Naturally, he gave TK a high five, feeling a little more relaxed. "At least you can keep yourself in good spirits. I still don't get why you won't come on any training retreats yet..."

TK made a spin, before pointing at Matsushita with both hands made into finger guns. "Come gather round people, wherever you roam." TK pointed at the door behind him and grinned. "And keep your eyes wide. The chance won't come again." Matsushita almost immediately got TK's hint.

"Well...it's not that easy. Not as easy as katame-waza, I guess..." Matsushita replied, his voice beginning to trail off. TK wasn't condescending like Fujimaki could be, but the judo expert still didn't want to tell him this kind of stuff. Even though he knew better, he had always secretly thought TK would just laugh at him for being bad with girls.

"Shine live and max out! Help is the the music cure. I'll dish out a play-list for your soul." TK replied, surprising Matushita just a little bit. The judo expert couldn't help but scratch his head in wonder. He was stupid for thinking TK would laugh at him. If anything, TK was always helping him in one way or another. Even after a couple months of dance training, Matsushita still wasn't all that good. But TK had kept helping him anyway.

"You're...going to help me? I don't know if it's even worth it. What chance do I have with Iwasawa anyway..." Matushita said, sighing as his mind filled up with self-doubt. TK put a firm hand on the judo expert's shoulder. TK's voice was pretty serious now.

"My love...she speaks like silence. The war is only won with comrades. You've gotta be the dance warrior who shines live."

Matushita's face looked unsure for a moment, but as he absorbed the words, he began to smile. The judo expert nodded. TK nodded back.

"Alright. Tomorrow...I will ask Iwasawa-san on a date...even if it kills me!" Matushita announced in a powerful voice, which almost surfaced above the sound of instruments playing in the club room.

Around the corner, a dark figure watched with copper eyes as the two boys confirmed their plans. Shiina had been thinking to herself about how exactly to deal with her TK problem for the last couple of days. Her mouth forming into a small smile, she realized quickly that she had just found her solution.

_**T.K**_

"So you're telling me...that you are gonna be asking Asami Iwasawa on a date before break is over?" Fujimaki asked from across Matsushita as break period dragged on. The stoic judo expert nodded in response, and TK snapped his fingers.

"TK said he would assist me...but yes. I am." Matsushita replied, his voice very sincere. Fujimaki seemed to be thinking something over for a few seconds, before he narrowed his eyes at the judo expert. Crossing his arms, he made it sound like he was talking down to the judo expert, "I feel sorry for you. You've actually had your heart captured by a girl. And not to mention that there's no way in hell she's going to just say yes. She doesn't even know you exist."

"You sound awfully sure of all this. When was your last girlfriend, Fujimaki-kun?" Hisako said from behind the fight-holic, surprising him easily. TK and Matsushita took little notice towards her, but Fujimaki seemed suddenly flustered.

"Wha...Why do you care anyway? Can you stop this whole sneaking up thing? It's damn well getting on my nerves!"

Hisako giggled as if Fujimaki had made a funny joke. The fight-holic's face just seemed to become more annoyed the more he heard Hisako's laughing. She stopped quickly however, apparently to put in her own two cents about what they had just been talking about.

"You guys really suck when it comes to keeping secrets. Half the class already knows about Matsushita's 5th Dan's crush. It's only a matter of time before it gets to Iwasawa..." Hisako stated, her voice trailing off purposely in an effort to make Matsushita nervous. It worked pretty well, and the judo expert's response made him sound worried.

"You...you wouldn't tell her, would you?"

Hisako smiled big at first, but her smile shrunk quickly. "Nah. I wouldn't do that. I do have a little advice for you though. Iwasawa is my best friend, so I know her pretty well inside and out."

"Don't be afraid. Don't stop dancing!" TK interjected, patting Matsushita on the back to reassure him. Of course, the bandana-wearing teenager still hadn't completely figured out exactly _how_ he would be helping the judo expert get a date with Asami Iwasawa.

"Okay. What can you tell me about her? Is there something that she likes about guys in particular? Should I buy her an expensive gift?" Matsushita asked, bolting off the first questions that came into his head. For the longest time, he had always thought that girls always fell for expensive presents like jewelery and such.

Hisako seemed to giggle to herself again, puzzling Matsushita and making Fujimaki frown in annoyance. She shook her head back and forth before answering the judo expert. "I don't know what you've been told, but expensive gifts are definitely not the way to go. She'd probably just get insulted if you got her something like that..."

Hisako rubbed her chin as she began to think to herself. As the others waited for her answer, Fujimaki just seemed to be trying to ignore her. Every time the fight-holic looked at Hisako, he _always_ felt his heart skip a beat. He hated the feeling, and he could _never_ let anyone know about that. It would ruin his reputation _forever_.

"Rock, dust, light, star?" TK asked, but as usual, his answer made no sense to Hisako. Her mind was already made up however. She gave Matsushita a very sly smile before leaning on the table right next to Fujimaki, aggravating him even more.

"I think I'll let you figure it out. If you really are the right guy for my best friend, then you can succeed without my help. I don't know how's he going to help you though." Hisako said, referring to TK. The dancer almost seemed insulted at first, but he shook it off and responded with one of his usual catch-phrases. "Kiss you!"

Matushita looked down at his desk, realizing the challenge before him. And TK's phrases weren't really making any sense to him now, so how would this guy's advice help him before break was done? The judo expert sighed, his voice sounding suddenly dry. "I hope you've got something good planned, TK..."

TK snapped his fingers and spun up from his chair. "It's my turn! C'mon let's dance!"

_**T.K**_

Break had always been one of Iwasawa's favorite times of the day.

It was a little strange. She enjoyed creating music more than listening to it, but she still couldn't help but cherish anytime she could get the chance to just listen to music that someone else was playing. And the break between classes, where most people would eat lunch and hang our with their friends, was the time when she sat in the club room and listened to her music.

And so naturally, Iwasawa did not hear the sound of someone knocking on the clubroom door. TK continued to knock on the door repeatedly as Matsushita waited anxiously. Nevertheless, the judo expert felt extremely nervous right now, so he hoped TK would be able to do most of the work for him. At the same time, he cursed himself for being so weak.

"Knocking on heaven's door!" TK shouted from the outside of the clubroom door in his loudest voice. Iwasawa was too absorbed with her music to hear him, and he could only groan to himself as he discovered the door was locked.

"Maybe this isn't the best time." Matsushita commented. He was beginning to think this was all turning into a really bad idea. TK looked at him with a serious face. It was a face that pretty much told the judo expert...

"There's no giving up now."

And so, Matsushita said nothing, and TK continued to knock on the door like a maniac. With only ten minutes left in break period, the judo expert and dancer had little time to reach Iwasawa before class began again. Little did they know that someone was watching them as they haphazardly tried to contact the person inside the clubroom.

Shiina had enough of watching these fools continue to fail. Even though she was conflicted about it, she decided to go forward and help them just this once. It had nothing to do with the fact that she still liked TK though. She kept saying that in her mind as she approached TK and Matsushita, hoping she would actually believe it sooner or later.

"How shallow-minded. Stand aside. You two obviously cannot do such a simple thing as gaining access into a room by yourselves." Shiina announced to a surprised TK and Matsushita, who could do nothing less but step aside as Shiina had commanded. TK couldn't help but say, "Love foolosophy? He said his name was Columbus. I just said "Get chance and luck"!"

Shiina ignored TK for the moment. With the skill of a true ninja, she quickly pulled out a small lock pick from inside one of her leggings. It still annoyed her that she wasn't allowed to wear the padded ones meant for protection to school.

After a second or two of fiddling, the door lock gave way to Shiina's skills, and both TK and Matsushita could only watch in awe as the door to the light music clubroom opened up to them. Following a silent Shiina inside, both boys spotted Iwasawa, who was sitting in one of the chairs and staring out a window, headphones around her ears. TK tapped her on the shoulder, and she almost immediately turned around, a somber look on her face as she pulled down her headphones.

"Oh, hello. How did you get in here? I thought the door was locked." she asked, and TK just spun around and pointed a finger gun at her in response.

"Easy come, easy go!"

Iwasawa put on a confused expression. "What?"

TK, thinking his first statement should have appealed to her in an instant, decided to be more forward with his approach. Gathering up all his inner strength, he pointed at Matsushita behind him and said, "He's getting ready for the show. He's going to the carnival tonight. This guy's been dreaming your audio dreams."

It was at this point that Matsushita 5th Dan was beginning to feel uneasy. He could easily spot the growing confusion on Iwasawa's face. It was only a matter of time before she got annoyed and kicked them out. Beside him, Shiina seemed to be crossing her arms and glaring at TK in disapproval. To her, his comments were beyond inane. However, she could also only do so much to avoid blushing at a time like this. He was so cute right now...

"What show is this? Is there a music carnival tonight? I heard about something like that happening. There's a couple of bands I might want to see. I've never had an audio dream though..."

It was at this point that TK was beginning to become a little annoyed. He hit himself on the head, before pointing back at Matsushita as he moon walked to the left.

"Unforgettable...that's what you are. Unforgettable...though near or far. Like a song of love that clings to him...how the thought of you...does things to him. Never before...has someone been more...unforgettable...in every way." TK sang in a low voice, hoping this was as obvious as he had to be.

Unfortunately, he failed to see Shiina's expression of disbelief, and Matsushita's face, which was turning bright red. At the same time, Iwasawa's eyes widened, and she stood up, fully taking in what TK had just told him. Her eyes failed to focus on Matsushita. This was all very sudden to her.

Iwasawa had always been told she was popular among the student body. Hisako made that clear. However, she had always thought it was only because of her being the lead portion of their band, Girls Dead Monster. She had never imagined a boy feeling...that way about her. All her friends had always been girls, and she thought it would have always stayed that way.

"Well...that's interesting. I don't really know what to say though..." Iwasawa replied, delivering the dreaded answer that Matsushita had hoped he would never hear.

TK was speechless now. Shiina remained silent, knowing that the time to act against TK would be soon. Matsushita 5th Dan's business was none of her's however.

Something inside Matsushita 5th Dan erupted at that moment. His face became sincere, and he pushed past TK. There were no thoughts of judo or of gyūdon in his head right now. No...all he could think of was the beautiful guitarist in front of him and what he was about to ask her.

He had decided for himself at this time that he would not lose like this. TK wasn't going to be there forever. He couldn't depend on him for everything. Hisako had been right. If he was the right guy for Iwasawa...then there was no chance of failure.

"I'm done with letting him talk for me. I have something to ask you, Iwasawa-san. Something I didn't think I'd be able to ask you for a long time."

The guitarist was still feeling a little awkward about TK's words, but from the look on Matsushita's face, she decided to hear him out. "Alright..."

"I...I have always loved your music. Ever since the beginning of the year...when I overhead one of your CD's with TK, I couldn't stop thinking about your music. I listened to it every single day, and I still do. In fact...I listen to it during judo training. It helps me focus."

Iwasawa could feel herself calming down as she listened to Matsushita's words. She knew him only by name, and he had never really stuck out to her much. But now was a little different. He seemed...interesting, all of a sudden.

"I always wanted to know the singer. She sounded so talented. She sang like an angel. I couldn't help but think about what she was like. I wanted to meet her. I really wanted to just get to know her." Matsushita continued, his voice becoming more confident with each word. Strangely, this all seemed to come out naturally. He had never imagined being able to say things like this to anyone, let alone a girl. Beside him, TK remained silent, but with a grin on his face. Shiina pretended to look like she wasn't listening, when in fact she was.

"You might know me as Matsushita 5th Dan. That's what everyone calls me. I know you as Asami Iwasawa-san. And with that, I want to ask you...will you go out with me dancing this Friday night?" Matsushita said, finishing his statement strongly, and leaving TK, Shiina and Iwasawa equally surprised.

There was silence for a few seconds. Iwasawa almost didn't know what to say at first. She was considering rejection before...but now, she was thinking the opposite. There was something about this guy that had hit her hard. She felt a connection with him even though she barely knew him. The way he spoke...the way he had talked about music, it reminded her of her own burning love of music in so many ways. Iwasawa smiled, put her headphones down on the table beside her, and gave him her answer.

"I think I can do that. I'll end our Friday practice a little early then. Do you mind if you stop by my house and we walk to our destination together?" she asked almost innocently. Matsushita could not speak for a couple of seconds. He absorbed what Iwasawa had just told him, and his voice came out a little nervous at first. "O-Of course! That would be perfect."

TK's grin was practically shining now. He put an arm around Matsushita's shoulder, reassuring his friend like he always did. "Easy come, easy go!"

A sharp tug on his collar pulled him off Matsushita, and he was now faced with the cold stare of Shiina. She spoke to him in a very serious tone.

"Don't be so shallow-minded. Since I have decided to move my Friday mediation session to Saturday, I will be going with you and your friend here. You asked me to go with you, and so you will receive. But that does not mean I will enjoy myself and convert into a fool." Shiina explained, and TK could only scratch his head and wonder what was going through hers. Nevertheless, he grinned wide and moon walked backwards, spinning around in joy.

"Don't stop dancing! My love...she speaks like silence! Friday night dancing is on!"

Shiina became silent once more. She already knew that her plans were foolproof. Once this date on Friday was over, TK would no longer be a problem to her.

Matsushita felt uncomfortable about this sudden change of plans, but one look from Iwasawa made him forget about it. The guitarist herself didn't exactly know what to think of Shiina and TK, but if they were friends with Matsushita 5th Dan, then they couldn't be that bad. She decided this all just might be worth it.

"Now I'm kind of wondering why you didn't ask me sooner." Iwasawa said to Matsushita, while Shiina continued to glare at TK doing a head spin on the floor. Matsushita shrugged. "I was wondering the same thing."

Iwasawa smiled warmly at Matsushita, and she could tell by his expression that she had melted his heart. Now that she thought about it, he was kind of cute...


End file.
